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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called on President Barack Obama to prevent mandatory Defense spending cuts from going into effect in the aftermath of the super committee's failure to reach an agreement.

Under current law, about $600 billion will be cut from the Defense portion of the budget (the Pentagon, Homeland Security and a smattering of other agencies) over the next decade. Romney's budget plan includes a Defense spending increase, which is basically another form of federal stimulus.

Romney's comments came in a Sunday interview with New Hampshire's WMUR:

“I think it was a very poor idea to put on the chopping block the security of the American people. Right here in New Hampshire, jobs would obviously be seriously impacted if the military cuts that the President and this supercommittee had on the table were put through, that would simply be a terrible course."

"I’m calling on the President to say no way for those cuts, restore the $600 billion into the military and take that amount and eliminate it from other programs. And I’d like to see the President put out a series of programs he would actually eliminate or cut. So far all we've seen from this president is a willingness to cut national defense and there have to be some recognitions across Washington that suggest no, no, there are other places that we can reduce federal spending.”

Obama has said he would veto any attempt to modify the mandatory cuts.